This invention relates to window assemblies and, more particularly, to a window assembly including a frame, a window, and a gasket or casing for holding the frame and window together. The window assembly is especially useful in vehicles and is installed from the exterior of the vehicle as a complete unit.
The installation of windows, especially in vehicles, has taken many forms. A common example is the positioning of a window pane or sheet of glass against a bead of sealant applied around the periphery of an aperture in a window frame and thereafter framing in or securing the rear side of the glass to the frame. This is typically done in building structures or in window units for such structures. In window assemblies for vehicles, however, and especially those windows which are not designed to be raised and lowered but rather are permanently positioned such as in the rear quarter panel of an automobile, installation of such permanent windows has often been time consuming, complicated and thus quite expensive.
In one method, a bead of sealant was applied to the periphery of the window frame from the interior of the auto with a sheet of glass pressed against that sealant, a backup frame applied around the rear of the glass and sealant and a plurality of clips or other securing fasteners applied to hold the backup frame in position. Either before or after all of the above, a finished metallic or other frame had to be applied from the exterior of the car to hide the raw, unfinished edges around the window aperture. Such piecemeal assembly steps have also been used in other permanently mounted vehicle windows such as the windshield or rear window except that the installation occurs from the exterior in the above-mentioned piecemeal fashion.
Another method for attaching permanent windows in automobiles and other vehicles was the prior securement of a window pane or sheet of glass to a metallic frame by means of a rubber or other similar collar which extends over both sides of the edge of the window aperture in the metal frame and also extends around the periphery of the glass to hold the frame and glass together. This frame and glass was then applied from the interior of the automobile to an aperture in the vehicular body while being secured and sealed in place. Again, however, a finishing bezel or frame had to be applied from the exterior of the body to conceal from the exterior the material holding the interior frame and window together. This method could thus not be used to secure a window directly from a vehicle exterior because the extension of the rubber or other collar over both sides of the window frame left an unsightly external ridge necessitating cover up with additional material.
None of the above methods, therefore, provided a simple, easily installed, completely finished window assembly which could be located virtually entirely from the exterior of the vehicle in order to save time and expense.
Another problem in the installation of windows, especially in modern vehicles, is the difference in curvature between the window itself and the frame to which it is to be secured. Since the glass in many current automobiles is typically curved or bent and tempered, and such bending is usually less precise than the stamping or bending of the frame to which it is to be secured or attached, differences in curvatures often exist. Any attachment of a window to a frame to provide a window assembly ready for installation would have to overcome and accommodate the problem of such differing curvatures as well as the stress resulting from the window tending to return to its own shape or curvature should the window be secured in the shape or curvature of the frame.
In many applications, the overall weight and cost of the window assembly is important in reducing the weight and cost of the entire vehicle. Therefore, the provision of a single unit which can be applied easily from the exterior of a vehicle in a time and labor-serving manner was desirable from a cost standpoint while the reduction in number of parts, finishing strips and thus overall weight of the window structure was also desirable.
Other problems encountered with prior known window structures and assemblies resulted from an inability to easily modify or vary the decorative trim on the exterior of the vehicle around a window opening. Generally, such trim was a metallic strip which, of necessity, had to be applied separately and attached by clips or other fasteners around the window opening to cover the sealant and window edge when the window was applied from the interior as described above.
Further, no previous structure was available allowing installation of a window and frame as a unit from the exterior of a vehicle while also providing the ability to open at least a portion of the window when desired after installation. Previous structures and methods required complex crank mechanisms for raising and lowering windows or separate hinge mechanisms secured to window panes and individually placed in vehicular window openings apart from the frame which surrounded the opening.